When Trummer’s on Main opened its doors ten years ago, co-owners Stefan and Victoria Trummer transformed the old Clifton Hotel into an elegant dining room that was mostly geared towards special occasions. But in August, the couple temporarily closed the restaurant, giving the menu and space a complete overhaul.
“It’s not that who we were wasn’t something we were very proud of, and we still think it was fantastic. But it wasn’t the kind of restaurant that we would go out to very often,” Victoria says. “We should be the place that we would pick to go to on our day off.”
So, the restaurant has reopened as Trummer’s, a more casual spot with Austrian influences and lower proof cocktails.
About 90 percent of the menu will look different, says Victoria. Holdovers from the old menu include Brussels sprouts tossed in kimchee mayonnaise and the signature Titantic cocktail, made with vodka and champagne sorbet.
The culinary reboot has been influenced by one of the kitchen’s new toys: a French rotisserie oven. Chef John Cropf salt-cures his rotisserie chicken for 24 hours before it is roasted on the spit and given a crispy skin, then plated with corn and smoked mushrooms. Daily specials which come from the oven include duck on Tuesday, branzino on Wednesday, and lamb on Thursday.
Fire also makes its way into one of the desserts: tableside s’mores. Guests can roast housemade vanilla marshmallows over their own mini flame, and garnish them with chocolate and peanut butter ganache.
The menu now includes more dishes from Stefan’s native Austria. There’s a pork loin schnitzel paired with lingonberries, while spaetzle has replaced the noodles in the chicken soup.
Other sweets from pastry chef Meagan Tighe include an Austrian-style sachertorte and a Napoleon layered with puff pastry, thinly sliced apples, and crunchy caramel.
When it comes to the wine cellar, bottles now range from $30 to $60. The bar team is developing lower-proof cocktails, combining spirits like vermouth and amaro with fruity cordials.
The space got a shake up, too. Gone are the earthy neutrals and rustic stone that characterized Trummer’s on Main. In their place are shades of crisp white and soothing teal, with modern light fixtures and winks of coral. An abstract mural by local artist Andrew Bannecker shows off a vibrant chicken.
Trummer’s. 7314 Main St., Clifton. Open Tuesdays through Thursday 5:30 PM to 9 PM (bar is open until 10:30); Friday 5:30 PM to 10 PM (bar is open until midnight); Saturday 5 PM to 10 PM (bar is open until midnight); Sunday 5 PM to 8 PM. Brunch service will be added later.
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Northeast DC.
